Falls Week: Staying on your feet

Falls Prevention Week 2026 takes place this week, 22nd – 26th September, and highlights why it’s important to take action to reduce falls and support older people to live longer, healthier lives. 

We know that ‘bouncing back’ from minor injuries and illnesses gets harder as you age, and that a fall can knock your confidence to get out and about after you’ve recovered, while also making it harder to sustain your strength and balance in the long run. 

This year’s Fall Awareness Week theme, "From Awareness to Action" aims not only to share the importance of falls prevention but also to empower individuals and communities to take practical steps to improve strength, balance, and confidence.

Body Boosting Bingo is a fun way for older people in communities across Scotland to build strength, balance, movement, and social connection. It uses gentle physical activity, social interaction, and community participation to help people build confidence, maintain independence and stay connected, supporting many of the key approaches recognised as important in reducing the risk of falls.

Body Boosting Bingo has been adopted by hundreds of community groups, care providers, charities and NHS services across Scotland, with 648 registered leaders and users accessing the resource as of 2026. Local organisations report delivering regular sessions that help older people build strength, balance and confidence while enjoying social connection. 

Body Boosting Bingo in the Community

Grey Matters Active Ageing 

Grey Matters Active Ageing in Helensburgh has embraced Body Boosting Bingo, with members completing the training, building confidence, and now leading sessions themselves. These sessions have become one of our most popular activities, and members have gone on to deliver them for other older people's groups across Helensburgh. This has empowered older people to become leaders within their own community while sharing healthy ageing messages far beyond our own organisation. 

After initially holding sessions in its centre, which has capacity for 18 people, the group moved to the larger Parish Church Hall to create more space and run sessions more frequently. Participants have said that they enjoy the stretching and that it has helped them feel more flexible. Member Irene, who helps facilitate the sessions, has said:

It’s not about being super fit; it’s about mobility”

Regular Body Boosting Bingo sessions form part of Grey Matters’ wider efforts to help people stay active, alongside encouraging and supporting older people to use public transport and lead active lives. 

Irene reflected that running Body Boosting Bingo regularly is an important part of their strategy to encourage people to move more; for example, they encourage and support people to use public transport. Members of Grey Matters have also completed training and developed the confidence to lead sessions themselves. Body Boosting Bingo has become one of the group’s most popular activities, with members going on to deliver sessions for other older people’s groups across Helensburgh.

“Part of our aim is to build stronger community connections, encouraging our members to get involved and volunteer locally. By taking Body Boosting Bingo into other groups, we’re creating new connections, bringing people together and helping communities thrive.”

Alison Gildea, Manager and Founder

Body Boosting Bingo in hospital

NHS Forth Valley 

Since the beginning of March 2025, Body Boosting Bingo has been implemented by the Occupational Therapy Older Adult Mental Health Team and Activity Coordinator in NHS Forth Valley - Larbert Hospital, who have reported: “it’s been a real success on our older adult MH wards with 4 members of our team now trained as fun active games leaders”.  Sessions are held twice weekly; average group numbers are 6 -10. Our participants are over the age of 65 with multimorbidity’s and enjoy the multicomponent activity that Body Boosting Bingo offers.  

Body Boosting Bingo has also been part of an ongoing collaborative, ‘Safer Together Group’, and data has shown a reduction in falls, with a view that participating in Body Boosting Bingo is having a positive impact. 

We've seen a big difference with patients moving more and having fun".  

Games Leaders, NHS Forth Valley